Valve for the reed plates of reed instruments, such as mouth organs or accordions



E. MESSNEIR FLA March 9, 1954 VALVE FOR THE REED TES OF REED INSTRUMENTS, SU

AS MOUTH ORGANS OR ACCORDIQNS Filed April 4, 1952 Patented Mar. 9, 1954 .VALVE FOR- THE REED PLATES OF REED INSTRUMENTS, SUCH AS MOUTH OR- GANS OR ACCORDIONS.

Eberhardt Messner, Trossingen, Germany Application April 4, 1952, Serial N 0. 280,595

9 Claims.

This invention relates to a valve for the reed plate of a reed instrument such as a mouth organ or an accordion, and more particularly to a valve made from a plastic material.

Valves for reed plates made of plastic materials have been used in the past. Their use, however, has given rise to a number of difficulties which have not been overcome with full satisfaction. For example, when they are used in mouth organs they tend to stick to the reed plate as a result of the moisture that collects on the reed plate. Further, they tend to form a poor seal in the larger sizes. I have invented improvements in plastic reeds which I feel are substantial improvements over the plastic reeds of the prior art.

In order to reduce the sticking of a plastic reed to the reed plate due to the collection of moisture thereon, I roughen the sealing surface preferably by cementing a layer of a pulverous material to the sealing area of the valve. This roughening of the sealing surface in this way greatly reduces the tendency of the valve to stick to a moist reed plate. I improve the tightness of the seal that is obtained in the will be clearly understood after reference to the following detailed specification read in conjunction with the drawings.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view showing a reed plate with a number of reeds and reed valves mounted thereon.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a valve according to my invention.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the valve shown in Figure 2 from the opposite side and showing the roughened sealing surface.

Figures 4, 5, 6 and '7 are views showing further embodiments of the invention. Figures 5, 6 and 7 are perspective views and Figure 4 is a sectional view along the lines 6-4; of Figure 6.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral l0 refers to a reed plate of astandard mouth organ. It is formed with a plurality of aligned slits H through which reeds I2 can vibrate. On each side of the plate It reeds l2 are rigidly mounted over alternate slits H. Valves I 3 for the reeds that have them are mounted on the opposite side of the reed plate It to the reed for which they operate. Only one side of the reed plate is shown but the mounting of reeds and valves on a plate is standard practice and need not be developed at any greater length here.

My invention relates to the valves I3 and more particularly to valves i3 when they are made from a plastic material and comprises the improvement of forming the area of the valve l3 that forms a seal on the reed plate HJ around the marginal edges of a slit H with a roughened surface, and of forming a plastic valve from a plurality of strips stacked upon each other so that a more effective seal can be achieved in the larger reed sizes.

In Figures 2 and 3 I show a simple reed according to the invention which can be used for a mouth organ where moisture is encountered. This valve comprises a single strip Id of plastic material, the sealing surface of which has ccmented thereto a layer of pulverous material IS.

The mounting end of the strip I4 is preferably formed with a depression [6 to accommodate the rivet that mounts the reed with which it functions in operation.

In Figure 5, I show a valve comprised of two plastic strips I7 and 18 having their longitudinal axes aligned with each other and stacked with their mounting ends in laminated relation with respect to each other as at IS. The strips can be, as shown, of different lengths, the strip l1 that forms the seal, of course, being the longest one.

Figure 7 is still another embodiment of the invention in which three strips 20, 2| and 22 are stacked together to form a reed.

The purpose of forming reed valves from more than one strip is to stiifen up the valve in the larger sizes and achieve a more effective seal.

Figures 4 and 6 show still another feature of my valve. This valve, like the one shown in Figure 5, is comprised of two strips 23 and 24 but is diiferent in that it is formed with an indentation as at 25 to accommodate a large reed as it vibrates. The indentation, of course, is spaced inwardly of the marginal edges of the reed valve which form the seal.

Only the reed valve shown in Figures 2 and 3 of the drawings has a coating of pulverous material. This coating is used as indicated above only where moisture is encountered and it is desired to prevent sticking of the smooth plastic surface against the reed plate as a result of the moisture. In applications such as accordions where no moisture is encountered, the coating of pulverous material can be omitted.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed, are defined as follows:

1. In a valve for a reed plate, the sealing area of said valve being made from a plastic material, the sealing area of said valve being formed with a roughened surface.

2. In a valve for a reed plate, the sealing area of said valve being made from a plastic material, a layer of a pulverous material being cemented to the sealing area of said valve.

3. A valve for a reed plate comprising a plurality of strips of a plastic sheet material, said strips having their longitudinal axes aligned with each other and being stacked with their mounting ends in laminated relation with respect to each other, one of said strips being designed to form a seal, the others being designed to tighten the seal of said seal forming strip.

4. A valve for a reed plate as claimed in claim 3 in which said strips are of different lengths, said strip that forms a seal being the longest one.

5. A valve as claimed in claim 3 in which the mounting ends of said strips are formed with a depression to accommodate obstructions on the mounting plate where they are mounted.

6. A valve as claimed in claim 3 in which said strips are formed with an indentation longitudinally thereof to accommodate a vibrating reed in operation.

'7. A valve as claimed in claim 3 in which the sealing area of said strip that forms a seal has cemented thereto a layer of pulverous material.

8. A valve as claimed in claim 6 in which said strips are of different lengths, said strip that forms a seal being the longest.

9. A valve as claimed in claim 7 in which said strips are of different lengths, said strip that forms a seal being the longest.

EBERHARDT MESSNER.

No references cited. 

